Deer roar at an end

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 440, 16 June 1992, Page 9

Deer roar at an end

The deer roar or mating season, in the central North Island is now over and the Department of Conservation is asking the more than 3200 hunters who obtained hunting permits for the Tongariro/Taupo Conservancy to retum their hunting diaries so that herd numbers, harvests and hunting effort can be monitored. From 250 diaries received to-date, more than 50% of hunters were successful this year, although trophy stags seem to have been difficult to find. This is pcr-

haps a result of the extreme weather conditions the herds have had to cope with over the past 12 months, said a DoC spokesman. The sika deer roar was generally poor this year however the red deer roared well and good numbers were harvested. The Department of Conservation are particularly interested in hearing from hunters who visited the Rangitikei River area which was opened up for the first time to helicopter access for 8 weeks this

year. Over 30 parties visited the catchment but to date only 22 hunters have provided hunting data and 23 red deer for 130 days of hunting. All hunters who return

their diaries before the end of June will be eligible for a prize draw which includes sports goods, helicopter and fixed wing trips and accommodation provided by local sponsors.